When you imagine a sinful person, do you usually picture a confident person in mind? Perhaps you saw them as villains who constantly laugh, those who always felt certain about how to accomplish their evil deeds. Based from personal experience, however, I often noticed that during those times that I sinned, it wasn’t confidence that brought me there but fear.
What is fear? While we can all lump it into a single definition, we shouldn’t be too quick in doing so. The truth is that there are many kinds of fear.
First, there is what we can also call “holy fear.” This is the kind of fear that is not harmful because it is the reverence we give to God.
“The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” – Proverbs 9:10 NABRE
We can also define fear as that natural instinct that can alert us and save us from danger. It is the fear we have of dangerous and wild animals and that leads us to quickly run away from them.
Then there is the fear that causes useless anxieties and worries. This fear goes on overdrive, stays longer than necessary and causes more harm than good.
If you watch the movie “Inside Out 2”, you can see how anxiety has caused so many problems for Riley, alienating her from her friends and making her do all the wrong things.
This is the kind of fear we must watch out for. This is the fear that leads us away from God.
Here are four different ways that fear can lead us to sin:
1. Fear can lead us to compromise our values
When we fear rejection, we can begin to compromise our values and simply go along with the crowd so that we can fit in. We can be so preoccupied with pleasing people, no matter what the cost, that we forget to please God.
One example is when a certain teenager is tempted to cheat just to be a part of a group of friends. Another example is when an employee joins in corrupt practices in the office to avoid offending one’s peers.
2. Fear can lead us to hurt our loved ones
When we’re so afraid to be hurt, we may act in ways that are overly defensive. In doing so, we push away those who matter to us the most.
Fear can drive us to destroy the very relationships that we cherish. When we fear so much that we would not be loved, we may draw back from giving our affection or refuse to forgive others. We may also say words that we’d regret later on.
3. Fear can make us forget eternal life
Our fear of death and the uncertainty of eternal life can make us live our lives thinking only about pleasure and comfort.
We may forget those things that can bring about eternal happiness and peace and exchange them for fleeting delights. Along the way, we may live immoral lives with no sense of right and wrong, only thinking of what can benefit us in worldly matters.
4. Fear can keep us from trusting God’s promises
When sickness, poverty or other problems come, our fears may become so loud that we can no longer hear the gentle whispers of God.
We may start to ask:
Where is God in my illness?
Why does He allow so much suffering?
Why do evil men get all they want in life?
As a result, we may start to take matters in our own hands. We exchange our faith for power and worldly riches, thinking that the only way to live a happy life is to be in complete control of everything. The truth is that only God has the power to accomplish everything. And the only thing that is asked of us is to trust in Him.
How Fear Separates Us From God
The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the first sin of Adam and Eve as something that came from fear:
“Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God’s command. This is what man’s first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness.” (CCC 397)
Whenever we fail to trust in God, we are tempted to take matters into our own hands and do our will, not God’s will.
How many times have we heard God say, “Be not afraid”? He knew how fearful we can be. And for as long as we fear, we can never find true happiness or peace.
Love Conquers Fear
The only way that we can overcome fear is through love:
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.” – 1 John 4:18 NABRE
Fear keeps our hearts focused on all the wrong things. Love, however, enables us to raise our hearts to Him who alone can save us from every fear.
“I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” – John 16:33 NABRE
When we believe in God, we entrust everything to Him, even in times when we can’t perfectly understand His ways. Even if we can’t see how things would work out for good, we trust in His love. And because He loves us, He will never forsake us.
How are we living our lives today? Are we constantly in fear and letting our worries and anxieties drive us to despair? Or are we choosing to trust in God’s unfailing love for us?
It isn’t always easy. But I hope that today, you choose the way of love.
“For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 NABRE
You may also want to watch the inspirational Christian song “Never Be Afraid” from SheWhoPraysTwice. May its lyrics help you trust God more and give you the faith and love you need to overcome your fears.
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